Lee Carsley believes the new generation of England players are less affected by pressure and are better at coping with the demands of international football.
Several of the squad that helped England Under-21s become European champions last year under Carsley have been included in the interim head coach’s first senior squad, with Lille’s former Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes his most eye-catching selection.
Chelsea’s Noni Madueke – who came on as a substitute in England’s win over Spain in the final in 2023 – was also selected after his hat-trick at Wolves last Sunday. The 22-year-old was booed by home fans throughout the game after posting disparaging remarks about Wolverhampton on social media and Carsley used him as an example of how younger players have the ability to “take it in their stride”.
“Not just Noni,” he said when it was pointed out that Madueke had not been intimidated by his reception. “But what I’ve noticed with the players from the Euros [the under 21s], that generation and age group, they don’t seem to feel it. They just take it in their stride.
“I remember before one of the games, maybe the semi-final, I was expecting them to be a bit nervous. You go into the dining room, the music is on, two or three of them are dancing, there is table tennis going on. I’m thinking: ‘Hang on, you’re not nervous? – should I make them aware they should be nervous?’ Whatever you put in front of them, they find a way of dealing with it.
“A lot of those players have had that expectancy I would imagine all their lives and careers. They have probably always been the best players. One thing I would say about them all is their attitude and work-rate is always what we look for first. The ability, brilliant, but if you can be part of the team and work really hard, if you’ve got talent that really helps.”
Harry Kane has been retained as captain for the Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland after a disappointing Euros that ended with him being substituted after 61 minutes of the final against Spain. But Carsley backed the Bayern Munich forward to recapture his best form.
“It is really easy to be reactive in a certain period,” he said. “People do have poor games, people do lack form sometimes. I am not saying he is in that category at all, but there is such an expectancy and weight on him to score the goals and be the leader. I don’t see that being any different.
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“Watching the games he’s played in and the condition he has come back in, he looks like he is in good form and looks really fit. So, that is what I have got to judge on. What happened in the summer, in form or out of form, good tournament or bad tournament, it is gone now. It is about what we do moving forward.”